Researching a Communication Skill

Jose Rodriguez
COM 122
March 18th 2016
RESEARCHING A COMMUNICATION SKILL
Nelson Mandela once said, If you talk to a man in a language he understands,
that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language that goes to his heart (CNN
News, 2008). The use of language is not only important to be able to express yourself
or show what you know, but to be able to influence others through it. Language,
especially words, is a powerful tool that depending on how we present it can destroy
or build people, close or open doors of opportunities. For that reason, it is essential to
enhance particularly my use of language, because with the proper usage I can be
where I want to be. So, by boosting my confidence and convincing myself I would be
able to have a better usage of my language.
Boosting confidence helps me to have a firm base, when actions take place.
Therefore, there are several ways to enhance confidence. One way to improve is by
planning. According to Richard Payne (2000), planning is the key to success. For
example, if there is a presentation that I have to perform, planning what I am going to
present, what materials I am going to use, how I am going to engage the audience,
and what non-verbal I am going to use are some strategies to show confidence and be
confident.
Another way to increase confidence is by being aware of your self-talk. Jaime
Kulaga (2014) said we have patterns of negative self-talks that we dont even realize.
And, how Lisa M. Hayes said, Be careful how you are talking to yourself because
you are listening. Those small comments that we do to ourselves can increase or

Researching a Communication Skill

decrease our confidence. Therefore, stop having thoughts that are limiting and selfdefeating. Replace those negative thoughts immediately for positive and confident
ones.
In Addition, another way to increase confidence is by stop comparing to
others. We often try to act like someone else, but the reality is that we cannot be like
him or her. Because, their experiences are different, their biology is different, and
there are hidden things that we dont know about them. So, we are using our time,
energy, and effort to be like someone that we are not. That will only bring us low selfconfidence. Kulaga explains that when we compare ourselves, we are in the straight
line of failure and guilty feelings, which pushes away confidence. So, shift you focus
to your own goals, perspectives, and abilities that will bring you the confidence
needed.
Another way to increase confidence is by getting out of our comfort zone.
When we are comfortable with what we are doing, then we have reached the point of
no progress. Because, in order to grow, we have to be surrounded by challenges and
difficulties that will help us strengthen our weaknesses and show are strengths. First,
we have to analyze what is our comfort zone that is limiting us from progress, and
then act towards the change. For example, I have realized that I dont have the
confidence that I expect, when I am in a class and I have to speak up. However, my
goal is to at least speak up twice during class. This goal will help me accomplish little
by little the confidence that I want and need. Kulaga expresses that the more we step
out of our comfort zone the more opportunities of success and self-confidence we
gain.

Researching a Communication Skill

Besides boosting confidence, convincing myself is another opportunity to

increase my use of language. There is a question that has changed the perspective of
connections between the body and the mind that Amy Cuddy (2012) formulated can
you fake it until you make it? This means, by faking an attribute that you dont
actually have, you can eventually develop it. And, through experiments she was able
to show how this question becomes a reality. For example, one group of people
imagined feeling powerful and the other group imagined feeling powerless for two
minutes. Cuddy saw that in only two minutes the hormones can configure the brain to
basically be either assertive, confident and comfortable, or really stress-reactive, and
feeling sort of shut down. So, if we convince ourselves that we are super-heroes,
eventually we will become super-heroes. The power of our mind is more powerful
that we think it is.
In conclusion, developing the usage of language through boosting my
confidence and convincing myself that I am the best doing what I am doing, that will
help me tremendously so I can have a significant and remarkable change in the use of
the language. Then, I will be able to achieve everything that I wanted, which means
that the sky and beyond is the limit because if I get out of my comfort zone I will find
and know my true potential. Finally, I wont let my mind or society to convince me of
something that I am not.

Researching a Communication Skill

REFERENCE
CNN News, (2008). Mandela in his own words. Retrieved from
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/06/24/mandela.quotes/
Cuddy, A. (June, 2012). Your body language shapes who you are. Ted Talk. Podcast
retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_ar
e/transcript?language=en
Kulaga, J. (2014). How can you build you confidence, and keep it. Forbes. Retrieved
from http://www.forbes.com/sites/womensmedia/2014/10/07/how-you-can-buildyour-confidence-and-keep-it/
Payne, R. (2000). Presenting with confidence. Journal of Environmental Health, 62(9), 232. Retrieved from
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